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Title: Immigrants Walk Off the Job in Boycott
Source:
Yahoo News
URL Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060501 ... u=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-
Published: May 1, 2006
Author: By GILLIAN FLACCUS, Associated Press Wri
Post Date: 2006-05-01 18:49:59 by Zipporah
Keywords: None
Views: 599
Comments: 96
Yahoo! News 10 minutes ago Hundreds of thousands of mostly Hispanic immigrants skipped work and took to the streets Monday, flexing their economic muscle in a nationwide boycott that succeeded in slowing or shutting many farms, factories, markets and restaurants. From Los Angeles to Chicago, Houston to New Orleans, the "Day Without Immigrants" attracted widespread participation despite divisions among activists over whether a boycott would send the right message to Washington lawmakers considering sweeping immigration reform. "We are the backbone of what America is, legal or illegal, it doesn't matter," said Melanie Lugo, who was among thousands attending a rally in Denver with her husband and their third-grade daughter. "We butter each other's bread. They need us as much as we need them." Police estimated 400,000 people marched through Chicago's business district and tens of thousands more rallied in New York and Los Angeles, where police stopped giving estimates at 60,000 as the crowd kept growing. An estimated 75,000 rallied in Denver, more than 15,000 in Houston and 30,000 more across Florida. Smaller rallies in cities from Pennsylvania and Connecticut to Arizona and South Dakota attracted hundreds not thousands. In Los Angeles, protesters wearing white and waving U.S. flags sang the national anthem in English as traditional Mexican dancers wove through the crowd. In Chicago, illegal immigrants from Ireland and Poland marched alongside Hispanics as office workers on lunch breaks clapped. In Phoenix, protesters formed a human chain in front of Wal-Mart and Home Depot stores. A protest in Tijuana, Mexico blocked vehicle traffic heading to San Diego at the world's busiest border crossing. Many carried signs in Spanish that translated to "We are America" and "Today we march, tomorrow we vote." Others waved Mexican flags or wore hats and scarves from their native countries. Some chanted "USA" while others shouted slogans, such as "Si se puede!," Spanish for "Yes, it can be done!" Others were more irreverent, wearing T-shirts that read "I'm illegal. So what?" The White House reacted coolly. "The president is not a fan of boycotts," said press secretary Scott McClellan. "People have the right to peacefully express their views, but the president wants to see comprehensive reform pass the Congress so that he can sign it into law." The boycott was organized by immigrant activists angered by federal legislation that would criminalize illegal immigrants and fortify the U.S-Mexico border. Its goal was to raise awareness about immigrants' economic power. But the effect was minimal in some places. On Manhattan's bustling 14th Street, only a few shops were closed, including a Spanish-language bookstore and a tiny Latin American restaurant. Miriam Chaikin pulled on the door several times, hoping to get an order of beans, rice and plantains. "The country needs immigrants," Chaikin said. "I think I would like them all to speak English and sing the national anthem in English the way my parents did, but we're a nation of immigrants." Industries that rely on immigrant workers were clearly affected, though the impact was not uniform. Tyson Foods Inc., the world's largest meat producer, shuttered about a dozen of its more than 100 plants and saw "higher-than-usual absenteeism" at others. Most of the closures were in states such as Iowa and Nebraska. Eight of 14 Perdue Farms chicken plants also closed for the day. Secaucus, N.J.-based Goya Foods, which says it is the nation's largest Hispanic-owned food chain, suspended delivery everywhere except Florida, keeping 300 trucks off the road and leaving more than 5 million products in warehouses an extra day. A spokeswoman said the company wanted to express solidarity with immigrants who are its primary customers. None of the 175 seasonal laborers who normally work Mike Collins' 500 acres of Vidalia onion fields in southeastern Georgia showed up. "We need to be going wide open this time of year to get these onions out of the field," he said. "We've got orders to fill. Losing a day in this part of the season causes a tremendous amount of problems." It was the same story in Indiana, where the owner of a landscaping business said he was at a loss. About 25 Hispanic workers — 90 percent of the field work force — never reported Monday to Salsbery Brothers Landscaping. "We're basically shut down in our busiest month of the year," said owner Jeff Salsbery. "It's going to cost me thousands of dollars." In the Los Angeles area, restaurants and markets were dark and truckers avoided the nation's largest shipping port. About one in three small businesses was closed downtown, including the cluttered produce market and fashion district. The construction and nursery industries were among the hardest hit by the work stoppage in Florida. Bill Spann, executive vice president of the Associated General Contractors of Greater Florida said more than half the workers at construction sites in Miami-Dade County did not show up Monday. "If I lose my job, it's worth it," said Jose Cruz, an immigrant from El Salvador who protested with several thousand others in the rural Florida city of Homestead rather than work his construction job. "It's worth losing several jobs to get my papers." The impact on schools was significant. In the sprawling Los Angeles Unified School District, which is 73 percent Hispanic, about 72,000 middle and high school students were absent — roughly one in every four. In San Francisco, Benita Olmedo pulled her 11-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son from school. "I want my children to know their mother is not a criminal," said Olmedo, a nanny who came here illegally in 1986 from Mexico. "I want them to be as strong I am. This shows our strength." In the normally bustling Port of Long Beach, about 30 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, was eerily quiet, with many truck drivers avoiding work. Lunch truck operator Sammy Rodriguez, 77, said 100 trucks normally line up in the mornings outside the California United Terminals. On Monday, he said, just three or four showed up. Some of the rallies drew small numbers of counter-protesters, including one in Pensacola, Fla. "You should send all of the 13 million aliens home, then you take all of the welfare recipients who are taking a free check and make them do those jobs," said Jack Culberson, a retired Army colonel who attended the Pensacola rally. "It's as simple as that." Jesse Hernandez, who owns a Birmingham, Ala., company that supplies Hispanic laborers to companies around the Southeast, shut down his four-person office in solidarity with the demonstrations. "Unfortunately," he said, "human nature is that you don't really know what you have until you don"t have it." ___ Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Laura Wides-Munoz in Homestead, Fla.; Janet McConnaughey in New Orleans; Jon Sarche in Denver; Alex Veiga in Long Beach, Calif.; Andrew Dalton and Christina Almeida in Los Angeles; Greg Bluestein in Atlanta; Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Ala.; Jordan Robertson in San Francisco; Michael Rubinkam in Allentown, Pa.; and Gregg Aamott in Minneapolis.
A crowd of people rally at the Capitol in Denver on Monday, May 1, 2006, in favor of immigration reform. Denver's City and County Building and the Rocky Mountains can be seen in the distance. Wearing symbolic white and waving both American and Mexican flags, tens of thousands of people marched through Denver on Monday, hoping to demonstrate the economic power of immigrants, illegal and legal, across the country. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski) 
mmigrants chant slogans during a rally Monday, May 1, 2006 in Miami. Illegal immigrants and their allies in Florida gathered Monday at marches, prayers and demonstrations on a planned national day of economic protest, boycotting work, school and shopping to show their importance to the country. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) 
mmigrants and their supporters gather in front of Lowell City Hall in Lowell, Mass., Monday, May 1, 2006, for a rally to support the national struggle to demand respect and citizenship to undocumented families and individuals in the United States.(AP Photo/Chitose Suzuki) 
Immigration protestors shout at counter-demonstrators during a rally and march in Orlando, Fla., Monday, May 1, 2006. The event drew over 20,000 people according to estimates by the Orlando Police Department. (AP Photo/John Raoux) 
Oscar Paz of Honduras, holds a sign as he chants slogans during a rally Monday, May 1, 2006 in Miami. Immigrants and their allies in Florida gathered Monday at marches, prayers and demonstrations on a planned national day of economic protest, boycotting work, school and shopping to show their importance to the country. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) 
Workers demonstrate at a rally in Union Square in New York, May 1, 2006, as they take part in what was being billed as 'A Day Without Immigrants,' a nationwide protest staged by immigrant rights advocates to protest proposed legislation to reform U.S. immigration law. REUTERS/Mike Segar 
McDonald's, the fast-food giant, paid tribute to its foreign workers and said it "strongly supports" immigration reform.(AFP)
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#1. To: All (#0)
"The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
Gotta watch those commies. Control the language, control the debate. Aren't we all for immigration reform?
Aren't we all for immigration reform? Oh so Orwellian.. isnt it?? I went thru a LOT of photos..and posted many .. just notice there were ONLY two that said anything about being against amnesty and notice.. the same woman.. some old lady.. now what message is that attempting to give??
"The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
That man seems in need of a map and a travel guide.
LOL!!! OH here's a link to a song by my nephew's band.. thought you might find it well interesting..;P "The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
They sound like good musicians, but the fresh-from-the-graves vocals aren't fitting my mood right now.
Hey, remember a few months back, when the anti-war rallies were held across America. The SS/Gestapo/Nazi/Darth Vader presence was overwhelming, and I don`t recall an incedent before, during or after the marches. Now, my question is, where is the black masked, Gov/SS/Nazi presence with the machine guns and such? The difference is, the illegal immigration march is good for the gov/corp, and the anti-war march is bad for the gov/corp.
Im not into death metal.. but they are good musicians.. I wonder if my nephew's voice will ever recover ;P
"The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
The difference is, the illegal immigration march is good for the gov/corp, and the anti-war march is bad for the gov/corp. I KNOW!! The antiwar protestors were protesting for peace.. hardly a scarey thought but these people are protesting and in favor of REVOLUTION.. so they get a pass?? Youre right one fits into 'their' agenda..the other doesnt.
"The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
I was never into that sound, from the singer, except it was fun in the right song but sucks after like one song. They (your nephews band) sound as good as 99% of the speed/deathmetal bands that even landlocked old me bought records and tapes from. I'm still trying to locate a video called 1-2-3 slam I saw one time when I was really drunk, but wrote it down. Anyone else see that ?
Have you ever won a stuffed owl?
duck and cover..duck and cover... ?? ;P
"The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
The last time I won anything on the order of that, it was at carnival.
They're on a european tour right now.. so I guess it sells?? But youre right they all pretty much sound alike ..the vocals if thats how you want to depict it.. Naw never heard of it..
"The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
The story of a conflicted man..
"The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
people are such chimps
Well there needs to be a LAW!! ;P "The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
Starting at the top.. "The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
Are you the walrus?
Order your copy today, they're suitable for framing.
"A" or "the"?? (punishment for the wrong answer.. ) ;P
"The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
On the blog of the writer Jerry Pournelle, who lives in California, he said the highways were clear for the first time in 20 years, and everything was so much better all-around since the wetbacks took the day off. He hopes they continue their strike.
"I aim to misbehave" -- Mal Reynolds, Firefly
man you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allen Poe
Ta, you nailed that logic.
"The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
He hopes they continue their strike. Really?? Some of the photos showed thousands of them in the streets I would think it would cause a problem re traffic..Were there any strikes in your area?? None here.. at least I didnt see any today..
"The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
I made it into work in record time today, everyone on the road seemed to understand turn signals and stuff.
not to mention it's the very same people who print the
money out of thin air who have funded this. we can't win. it's over folks.
this is the culmination of a plan that's been in the making for decades.
"Of the corporate elites, by the corporate elites, for the corporate elites" - it's what America is all about. Now send your kids off to fight and die in Iraq so that corporate pigs get everything and we get nothing. What else have we ever fought for?~~Elliott J
and the money will roll right in
Now, my question is, where is the black masked, Gov/SS/Nazi presence with the machine guns and such? If the govt goons were up for the job (like they were in New York and Boston during the conventions) then some of these "peace loving, hard working, non violent, apple pie eatin' backbones of America" would have been arrested (you know, for singing GOD BLESS AMERICA too loud and disturbing the peace) and then some of BushCo's buddies would have been short on workers and probably lose money, (restaurants, construction trades and agribiz) and then someone would have had some explaining to do... Also, BushCo hopes that the illegal voters will touch the elephants on the screens, and the govt knows that anti war protestors won't. Now is a good time to remember that in Miami the cops shot non violent anti-war protestors in their faces and on any exposed skin they could hit with nasty, plastic bullets. And, I'm assuming from the closely-cropped pix (except the first) that these rallies mostly fizzled.
Pournelle was talking about the highways. He said the only thing he noticed was that service was "a little slow" at McDonalds (like I eat there anyway). Strikes in my area? I live in the Midwest, and not a big city. They try anything where I live, and they'd be eaten for breakfast. One Mexican woman in my area was trying to organize something, and she was arrested and deported. I've told people many times this country will be saved by the Midwest and the South, not the child molesters on the East and West Coasts.
"I aim to misbehave" -- Mal Reynolds, Firefly
Strikes in my area? I live in the Midwest, and not a big city. They try anything where I live, and they'd be eaten for breakfast. One Mexican woman in my area was trying to organize something, and she was arrested and deported. I've told people many times this country will be saved by the Midwest and the South, not the child molesters on the East and West Coasts. I live in the midwest too.. but there are a LOT of illegals here.. started at the race track .. mainly working at restaurants.. I talked to a local cop here and he told me he tried to call INS/Homeland Security.. when he arrested a couple of illegals..and they told him call them back when they had 25 !! He was none too happy. He also said .. just wait.. til the gangs start here.. Also the fastest growing illegal population is in Georgia..so much for the south!
"The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
Remind me again...what are we doing in Iraq? We have bigger problems right here on our own soil.
Funny you should ask.. "The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
MS-13? Already here...
911, terrists, wake up, slavey!
Mmm-kay...no more Tyson, no more Perdue, no more Goya, no more restaurants, mow my own lawn.
When this cop told me this.. they werent as yet in my area..
"The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion." Frederick Douglass
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Mary Horrigan displays her feelings against an illegal immigration amnesty while standing adjacent to a pro-immigration rally and march around Post Office Square in Boston Monday afternoon May 1, 2006. Horrigan says her family arrived in the New World as part of the Jamestown colony in 1607.(AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) 
Participants taking part in a rally for immigration rights hold flags as the march began in Orlando, Florida May 1, 2006. The flag in the foreground is the Haitian flag and the one behind is the Mexican. REUTERS/Joe Skipper>
Thousands of demonstrators march through the streets of downtown Los Angeles May 1, 2006, as part of what was being billed as 'A Day Without Immigrants,' a nation-wide protest staged by immigrant rights advocates to protest proposed legislation to reform U.S. immigration law. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson 
Mary Horrigan (C-rear) carries a sign against amnesty for illegal immigrants as she participates in a counter protest at a rally in support of immigrants in Boston, Massachusetts May 1 2006. The rally is part of the nationwide protest 'A Day Without Immigrants'. REUTERS/Brian Snyder 
Cathie Mauricio (L) and Bill Galvin (R) hold up their signs in support of immigration reform during a rally in Detroit, Michigan May 1, 2006. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook
#2. To: Zipporah (#1)
in support of immigration reform
"Both the loss of the will to define and defend one’s native soil and the loss of the desire to procreate send an alluring signal to the teeming favellas and kazbahs: Come, for no Western nation has the guts to shed blood - alien or its own - in the name of its own survival."
-- Srdja Trifkovic
#3. To: Tauzero (#2)
Gotta watch those commies. Control the language, control the debate.
#4. To: Zipporah (#1)
"Proud to be American, (but prouder to be Mexican)"
#5. To: Dakmar (#4)
That man seems in need of a map and a travel guide.
#6. To: Zipporah (#5)
#7. To: Zipporah (#1)
#8. To: Dakmar (#6)
They sound like good musicians, but the fresh-from-the-graves vocals aren't fitting my mood right now.
#9. To: Zipporah, Jethro Tull (#5)
#10. To: Kamala (#7)
Now, my question is, where is the black masked, Gov/SS/Nazi presence with the machine guns and such?
#11. To: Zipporah, everyone on earth (#8)
#12. To: Kamala (#7)
The difference is, the illegal immigration march is good for the gov/corp, and the anti-war march is bad for the gov/corp.
#13. To: Dakmar (#9)
#14. To: Dakmar (#12)
#15. To: Dakmar (#11)
#16. To: Zipporah (#15)
Guttermouth
» 1-2-3 Slam
okay, here's the story about my mom and dad
one was white
one was black
i bet you think you're glad
i'm a half breed, my skin is fair yet tan
i don't know what the hell i'm on
so 1, 2...1, 2, 3 slam!!!
kinky hair when i wake up
straight when i go to bed
my dad speaks jive talk to me, don't know what he just said
my mother she's a honkey
my dad's kentucky fried
i don't know what the hell i'm on
so 1, 2...1, 2, 3 slam!!!
back at home it's black eyed peas with a pot roast on the side
it's hot dogs on friday nights
the chicken's country fried
my dad says "yo boy pass the peas!"
my mom says pass the squash
i need something to ease the pain
so i'll go downtown and get some downers
whoa, man, i'm a little bit slow
but i've got to get up somehow
got no money
just a good idea
let me tell you how
i'll steal my parents credit cards
oh yes i'll rip them off
i'll go downtown to where dad works
and get myself some cocaine
now i'm high, and i'm not shy
i'll get it off my chest
my mom is white, she thinks she's right
she thinks that she's the best
my dad is just a negro, he's not one to play golf
i don't know what the hell i am
so1, 2...1, 2, 3 slam!!!
#17. To: Dakmar (#16)
#18. To: Zipporah (#17)
#19. To: Dakmar, Kamala (#12)
Have you ever won a stuffed owl?
#20. To: Dakmar (#18)
people are such chimps
#21. To: Zipporah (#19)
#22. To: Zipporah (#20)
Mad as mookie stinks
#23. To: Dakmar (#21)
Are you the walrus?
#24. To: Zipporah (#0)
#25. To: Zipporah (#23)
#26. To: Tauzero (#2)
Gotta watch those commies. Control the language, control the debate.
#27. To: Dakmar (#22)
Mad as mookie stinks
#28. To: YertleTurtle (#24)
On the blog of the writer Jerry Pournelle, who lives in California, he said the highways were clear for the first time in 20 years, and everything was so much better all-around since the wetbacks took the day off.
#29. To: YertleTurtle (#24)
On the blog of the writer Jerry Pournelle, who lives in California, he said the highways were clear for the first time in 20 years, and everything was so much better all-around since the wetbacks took the day off.
#30. To: Zipporah (#28)
#31. To: Kamala, Jethro Tull, itisa1mosttoolate, HOUNDDAWG, Ada, Lady X, buckeroo, Fred Mertz, Yertle Turtle, IndieTx, loner, peteatomic, j. sulli, angle, Esso, Hmmmmm, Dakmar, Flintlock, Bub, Arete, all (#7)
The difference is, the illegal immigration march is good for
the gov/corp, and the anti-war march is bad for the gov/corp.
#32. To: christine (#31)
#33. To: Kamala (#7)
Hey, remember a few months back, when the anti-war rallies were held across America. The SS/Gestapo/Nazi/Darth Vader presence was overwhelming, and I don`t recall an incedent before, during or after the marches.
#34. To: Zipporah (#28)
Really?? Some of the photos showed thousands of them in the streets I would think it would cause a problem re traffic..Were there any strikes in your area?? None here.. at least I didnt see any today..
#35. To: YertleTurtle (#34)
Pournelle was talking about the highways. He said the only thing he noticed was that service was "a little slow" at McDonalds (like I eat there anyway).
#36. To: Zipporah (#0)
#37. To: who knows what evil (#36)
Remind me again...what are we doing in Iraq? We have bigger problems right here on our own soil.
#38. To: Zipporah (#35)
til the gangs start here..
#39. To: who knows what evil (#36)
Remind me again...what are we doing in Iraq?
#40. To: Zipporah (#0)
#41. To: who knows what evil (#38)
MS-13? Already here...
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